STATE OF DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS

Column: 2931

STATE OF DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS: 15.

Dr Warren Lee asked the Acting Minister for Education (a) if there is an increasing trend in discipline and truancy problems in schools; and (b) whether these cases involve more boys than girls or vice versa.

16.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam asked the Acting Minister for Education in the last two years, 2002 and 2003, (a) what is the number of complaints of teachers being abused by (i) parents and (ii) students; (b) how many of these cases were successfully resolved in favour of the teachers; (c) what is the number of complaints against teachers for abusing their students; (d) how many of these

Column: 2932

complaints eventually led to these teachers resigning or being dismissed; and (e) what is the support the Ministry gives to teachers who have been wrongfully complained against.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos. 15 and 16 together, please?

Mr Speaker: Yes.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Dr Warren Lee had asked about trends in discipline and truancy in our schools. The state of discipline in schools has been stable over the last four years. From the records maintained by schools, disciplinary offences have shown a downward trend in primary schools and remained stable in secondary schools.

The most common problems reported in primary schools have been students coming late to school or not doing assignments, which together account for over half of all the primary school offences. In secondary schools, latecoming, truancy and improper attire or grooming account for over two-thirds of the offences. The number of serious offences in schools has remained small and relatively stable over the last four years.

A further indication of this is in the number of students arrested by the Police for various serious offences. The number has ranged between 0.3% and 0.5% of the student population aged under 19, including not just students in schools but also those in the ITEs, polytechnics and the private schools, over the last seven years. Most of these arrests were for theft, ie, either simple theft or shop theft.

There have been more boys than girls involved in disciplinary cases. Girls account for 19% of offences in primary schools and 34% of offences in

Column: 2933

secondary schools. The proportion of girls is much lower for serious offences, at about 11% in both primary and secondary schools. The lower proportion of girls is also evident in arrests by the Police. Girls have comprised a declining proportion of students arrested over the last few years. In 2003, they comprised 27% of students arrested. About three quarters of these girls were arrested for shop theft.

Ms Braema Mathi asked about abusive students. The Ministry of Education and schools view any abuse of teachers very seriously. Respect for teachers is central to the education that we provide.

In the last two years, ie, 2002 and 2003, there were a total of 14 reported cases of teachers being physically abused by students. Schools have in all these instances taken disciplinary actions against the pupils, including corporal punishment and suspension.

Ms Braema Mathi has also asked about cases of teachers being abused by parents. Such cases are very rare.

Cases of teachers abusing their students, which she has asked about, have also been infrequent. In the last two years, ie, 2002 and 2003, we have handled a total of 29 cases where teachers were found to have inflicted corporal punishment on their students, outside of what MOE and the school's own guidelines permit. In all these 29 cases, the teachers were issued written warnings, usually by the school itself. None of the teachers were dismissed from the teaching service.

The Ministry is committed to high standards of discipline in our schools. We will support measures taken by schools within our guidelines to uphold these standards, and are confident of their ability to do so.

Column: 2934

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam (Nominated Member): Going back to the cases of disciplinary problems, could I ask the Minister what kind of abuses did the students heap on the teachers? For the teachers who were not dismissed, were there any resignations among them?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: For cases of teachers being abused by students, I do not have a full list of the details of the abuses here. But what matters is that we take action in each and every case. We take very serious action on the students, because this is something which we have zero tolerance for, ie, any abuse of the teacher. That is what matters. Of course, we also take care to ensure that the teacher himself or herself is counselled, is able to remain in good spirits and remain motivated in the profession. We have not had serious difficulties so far in this.

On the question of teachers abusing students, the Member referred to -

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam: The teachers, instead of being dismissed, may have resigned. What are the numbers?

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: We have not dismissed any of them. They are given written warnings, usually by the school. I am not aware of those who had been given written warnings resigning.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam: There is another question about support given to teachers. Teachers have been abused by students.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Very few.

Ms Braema Mathiaparanam: No, what I mean is the support given to the teachers. What kind of support does the Ministry give to the teachers? I think the kind of abuse that teachers face is important to understanding what are some of the

Column: 2935

problems that are going on in our schools. So, perhaps the Minister could elaborate.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: We have a centre which we call "iCARE Lodge". It is a counselling centre specifically for teachers located at Grange Road. Schools refer teachers who are under stress for a variety of reasons to the counselling centre. It has a full-time counsellor and it is working quite well. We go out of our way to help teachers who have been abused. The numbers may be small, but each and every case is serious as far as we are concerned, and we go out of our way to help them.